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Message: [QUOTE="BillSU, post: 5702556, member: 6809"] Bryan Blair: During Bryan B. Blair's tenure as Athletic Director (2022–2026), the University of Toledo achieved record-breaking performance in both revenue and non-revenue sectors, leading to the department winning the [B]Cartwright Award[/B] for the best overall program in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for three consecutive years. University of Toledo Athletics +1 Revenue Sports Performance Toledo's primary revenue-generating sports, football and men's basketball, maintained high levels of success and national visibility. The Daily Orange +1 [LIST] [*][B]Football[/B]: Won the 2022 MAC Championship in Blair's debut year and consistently appeared in high-rated bowl games, such as the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl which drew over 2 million viewers. [*][B]Men’s Basketball[/B]: Secured back-to-back MAC regular-season titles in 2023 and 2024, achieving a dominant 62-13 conference record over a four-year period. [*][B]Attendance[/B]: Led the MAC in attendance for both football and women's basketball (often considered a top revenue driver at Toledo). University of Toledo Athletics +4 [/LIST] Non-Revenue Sports and Overall Department Success Under Blair's leadership, the Rockets captured [B]13 MAC Championships[/B] across all sports, including tennis and cross country. Yahoo Sports +1 [LIST] [*][B]Academic Excellence[/B]: Non-revenue sports contributed significantly to an all-time high department-wide cumulative GPA of 3.437 in 2023. [*][B]Graduation Success Rate (GSR)[/B]: Seven teams achieved a perfect 100% GSR, including soccer, swimming & diving, and volleyball. [*][B]NIL Innovation[/B]: Blair established the first NIL collective in the MAC and secured national brand deals for non-revenue teams, specifically women's basketball. University of Toledo Athletics +2 [/LIST] Financial and Revenue Ratings Blair was recognized as an "elite revenue generator" by the [URL='https://utrockets.com/staff-directory/bryan-blair/410']University of Toledo[/URL]. [LIST] [*][B]Fundraising Growth[/B]: Increased major and planned gifts by [B]282%[/B] since 2022. [*][B]Rocket Fund Support[/B]: Saw a [B]71% increase[/B] in annual donor support. [*][B]Strategic Revenue[/B]: Launched new revenue streams including the Venture Courtside Club and hosted major events like concerts at the Glass Bowl. [*][B]National Ranking[/B]: Named to the [URL='https://utrockets.com/news/2024/4/8/athletics-bryan-blair-named-to-sports-business-journals-forty-under-40-list']Sports Business Journal[/URL] [B]"Forty Under 40"[/B] list in 2024 for his influence in sports leadership. University of Toledo Athletics +5 [/LIST] As of March 11, 2026, reports indicate Blair is expected to leave Toledo to become the Athletic Director at [B]Syracuse University[/B]. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?